text:
The Complex Call of the Carolina Chickadee
By Todd M. Freeberg, Jeffrey Lucas, Indrikis Krams
Can the chick-a-dee call provide lessons about language?
Can the chick-a-dee call provide lessons about language?
If you live in North America, Europe or Asia near a forest, suburban open woodlands or even an urban city park, chances are you have heard a member of the avian family Paridae—the chickadees, tits and titmice. Birds use calls to communicate with their flockmates, and most parids share a unique call system, the chick-a-dee call. The call has multiple notes that are arranged in diverse ways. The resulting variation is extraordinary: The chick-a-dee call is one of the most complex signaling systems documented in nonhuman animal species.
Much research on the chick-a-dee call has considered Carolina chickadees, Poecile carolinensis, a species common in the southeastern United States. We focus on this species here, but we also compare findings from other parids. We discuss how the production and reception of these calls may be shaped over individual development, and also how ecological and evolutionary processes may affect call use. Finally, we raise some key questions that must be addressed to unravel some of the complexities of this intriguing signaling system. Increased understanding of the processes and pressures affecting chick-a-dee calls might tell us something important about what drives signaling complexity in animals, and it may also help us understand the evolution of that most complex vocal system, human language.
Toward the end of summer, many songbirds in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere migrate south to overwinter in more favorable climates. But some species stay put. One of the most common groups of resident songbirds is the chickadees and titmice of North America and the tits of Europe and Asia. These small songbirds (they typically weigh less than 30 grams) live in a wide range of habitats, often in heterospecific flocks—mixed-species groups that include other songbird and woodpecker species. Conspecific—composed of a single species—flocks of parids are often territorial and are reported to range in size from two (as in oak titmice, Baeolophus inornatus, which occur only as female-male pairs) to dozens of individuals (as in great tits, Parus major, which form large assemblages with fluid membership). Parids that form flocks do so in the late summer months and often remain in them until the following spring, when female-male pairs establish breeding territories. Such a flock structure, with stable groups of unrelated individuals, is atypical for songbirds and, as we argue below, may be an evolutionary force affecting vocal complexity in these species.
Vocalizations in birds are often divided into two categories: songs and calls. Songs are typically given in the mating season and are directed toward mates or potential rivals. Calls are any other vocalization, and they fall into functional categories, such as food calls, contact calls, mobbing calls or alarm calls. In almost all songbirds, songs are complex and calls are simple. Not so with parids: Many species have relatively simple songs (for example, the fee bee song of black-capped chickadees, Poecile atricapillus, and the peter peter song of tufted titmice, Baeolophus bicolor ), but at least one very complex call system—the chick-a-dee call. The name "chickadee" for the North American Poecile group of parids is the onomatopoeic rendition of this call. Interestingly, it is labeled the si-tää call in willow tits, Poecile montanus, which are native to parts of Europe and Asia. When spoken in Swedish, Norwegian or Latvian, si-tää sounds quite similar to the birds' call.
In winter months in many regions, the only bird sounds you may consistently hear are chick-a-dee calls. The source of those calls is likely to be a group of parids interacting with one another and with any number of other species of birds. Parids are commonly the nuclear species—the core members of mixed-species flocks; they are often joined for periods of time by satellite species such as nuthatches, kinglets, woodpeckers, goldcrests and treecreepers. The behavior of these nonparid species is affected by the presence or absence of parids and also by the parids' chick-a-dee calls. As such, understanding social cohesion and group movement of these mixed-species flocks requires an understanding of parid signaling systems.
Chick-a-dee calls across parids share a number of acoustic features, each of which can be seen as somewhat analogous to aspects of human language. First, calls are composed of distinct note types. These note types have been categorized into acoustically distinct forms that can be distinguished by researchers with high reliability. In a 2012 study, two of us (Freeberg and Lucas) described six note types—A, E, B, C, Dh, and D notes—in the calls of Carolina chickadees from an eastern Tennessee population (see Figure 3). These note categories do not correspond to human musical notation; they are arbitrary labels. Christopher Sturdy and his colleagues at the University of Alberta have described a similar set of notes in the calls of Carolina chickadees and other chickadee species.
A, E and B notes are whistled and often show considerable frequency modulation. The C note is a noisy note type that generally increases in frequency over the course of the note. The D note, another noisy note type, has minimal frequency modulation. It seems to be a complex combination of two tones, or fundamental frequencies, and their harmonics, tones whose frequency is an integer multiple of the fundamental—along with other tones resulting from these tones' interaction. (The songbird syrinx, or vocal organ, vibrates in two locations, one in each bronchus. Thus it can create two different tones simultaneously.) The final note type we described, the Dh or hybrid D note, is rare in this population and appears to be an A or B note that transitions without a break in sound into a concluding D note.
Each note type normally occupies a specific part of the call. The typical chick-a-dee call in this population has an average of two introductory notes (some combination of A, E or B notes), roughly one C note, and three concluding D notes. Thus, the chick-a-dee call is made up of note types with distinct sounds, similar to the way each human language is made up of phonemes, or distinct sounds. (For example, the p and b sounds in English are distinct phonemes produced by the lips, called labial stop consonants; the difference between the two is that the b is voiced, or articulated by vibration of the vocal cords, and the p is not.)
Second, chick-a-dee calls are produced according to rules of note ordering. Roughly 99 percent of a sample of over 5,000 chick-a-dee calls followed the A– E–B–C–Dh–D ordering rule. Any note type can be repeated or left out of the sequence. So the chick-a-dee call has constraints on how the different sounds that make it up are combined to form calls, a phenomenon perhaps analogous to human-language constraints that govern how different phonemes are combined to form words.
A third commonality among chick-a-dee calls is that the call system is open-ended. The more chick-a-dee calls we record, the more calls with different note-type compositions are revealed. This variation is possible because notes can be repeated in calls, within the constraints of the note ordering rules. We know this from analysis, based on information theory (the study of the quantification of information, begun in the 1940s), of calls recorded from the Tennessee population we have studied. The phenomenon is also supported by within-individual analysis of chick-a-dee call note types derived from large sets of calls of known individuals recorded over time. This open-ended quality is one of the major differences between the chick-a-dee call and the finite call and song repertoires of most songbird species. Open-endedness is one of the defining features of human languages.
A final common characteristic among chick-a-dee calls is that they contain a large amount of information. In information theory, this term refers to the amount of uncertainty in a signaling system. When a signaler produces a signal, the information in that signal reduces the overall uncertainty to the receiver about the context of the signal—in other words, the receiver knows more about the signaler or the signaler's likely behavior than it did before the signal was produced. Signaling systems with a large amount of information therefore can conceivably transmit a wide variety of distinct messages. The greater information content in chick-a-dee calls stems from the enormous diversity in their note-type composition. A key assumption of the concept of information as it is typically used by parid researchers (and other bioacoustics researchers) is that diversity of note composition relates to distinct messages in signals. Evidence from different labs and from different chickadee species indicates that the variation in chick-a-dee call structure documented via information-based analyses does indeed correspond to functional variation. Certain note-composition variants in these calls seem to be messages, often to flockmates, about the social and physical environment or the behavioral tendencies of the signaler.
Individual parids are often out of sight of flockmates as they move through the environment, so a vocal signaling system that can convey messages related to predators, food or group movement seems crucial to obtaining the benefits of group living. Recent studies indicate that variation in Carolina chickadee chick-a-dee calls is associated with these social and environmental contexts (see Figure 4). Chickadees and other parids have a number of distinct call types in their vocal repertoires, but our focus here is on chick-a-dee calls, so we use "calls" hereafter to refer to chick-a-dee calls.
Most studies of these calls in the context of avian predators have used perched predators or models, as we along with Tatjana Krama and Cecilia Kullberg noted in a recently published review article. Christopher Zachau and Freeberg, in an article published this year, presented predator and control stimuli that "flew" in the area of Carolina chickadees visiting feeders. (See the sidebar on page 403 for more detail about the design of these experiments.) We used wooden models shaped like flying birds and painted to resemble either sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus, a threatening avian predator) or blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata, a nonthreatening avian control). The chickadees' calls were recorded before and after the release and "flight" of the models down a zipline near the feeders. The calls produced varied with the presence of each model type, but the biggest effect we measured resulted from the flight of any model, irrespective of the species it mimicked. Calls produced after the model was released contained more A notes compared to calls produced prior to the release of the model. Greater production of A notes in the calls would seem to represent a message of alarm, as opposed to one of mobbing—behavior that is frequently linked to approaching and harassing predators—or of assembly. Tonal sounds that slowly increase in intensity and that are high frequency (such as the A note) are generally difficult for avian predators, and many other animals, to locate. In contrast, noisy sounds with rapid increases in intensity, like the D note, are easier to locate. Thus, the production of more A notes in these calls when a flying predator is detected in the area seems adaptive, as it could alert flockmates to the predator's presence but not give away the location of the signaler to the predator.
Carolina chickadees produce more calls, and often more D notes in those calls, when they detect a perched avian-predator model than when no model is present. For example, in a 2009 study, Chad Soard and Gary Ritchison of Eastern Kentucky University placed six perched avian-predator models in the habitat of Carolina chickadees. The models, all of which represented hawk and owl species, ranged in size and type from small, agile predators like Eastern screech owls (Megascops asio) and sharp-shinned hawks to large, relatively slow-moving predators like great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) and red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). The former predators represent real threats to small songbird species, whereas the latter do not. Chickadees produced more D notes in their calls when smaller, more threatening avian predators were present (see Figure 5). Later the researchers played back chick-a-dee calls recorded in these different threat contexts to chickadees in their habitat. The authors found that chickadees were more likely to mob the playback speaker—to approach it closely in large numbers—when it was playing calls recorded when a small predator model was present than when the speaker was playing calls recorded when a large predator model was present. This work suggests that easy-to-localize D notes are used more often in calls when those calls might serve a mobbing function—bringing flockmates to a particular location to drive a predator away. These findings make it clear that Carolina chickadees vary the note composition of their chick-a-dee calls in the high arousal contexts of predator detection and mobbing.
Ellen Mahurin and Freeberg found in a 2009 study that when individual chickadees from an eastern Tennessee population first detected food, the calls they produced contained a relatively large number of D notes (see Figure 6). Once at least one more chickadee arrived at a feeder, however, the first bird's calls changed such that fewer D notes were produced. In a follow-up study near feeders at several sites, we played back calls that contained either a large number of D notes (which previous findings suggested might be a signal to assemble) or a small number of D notes (as a control). Carolina chickadees flew to and took seed from the feeders more quickly in response to calls containing a large number of D notes, supporting the notion that increased production of D notes can help recruit other individuals to the signaler's location.
A naturalistic observation study conducted by Freeberg in 2008 suggests that chickadees use more C notes in their calls when they are in flight than when they are perched (see Figure 7). We have recently gained more experimental support for this suggestion: Chickadees flying to and from feeders produce calls with a greater number of C notes than they do when they are farther away from feeders. In addition, chickadees released from capture produce calls with a greater number of C notes when they are in flight than they do once they are perched. So calls with a relatively large number of C notes might signal movement—and thus might be adaptive for maintaining group cohesion in space.
In addition to these environmental and behavioral contexts, we have detected motivational influences on call production: Lucas, April Schraeder and Curt Jackson found in a 1999 study that chickadees increase rates of chick-a-dee calls when their energy stores decline. Additionally, there appear to be population-level "signatures" in the call that distinguish one population from another. There also appears to be marked variation at the individual level in call production. Evidence from Christopher Sturdy's lab at the University of Alberta indicates that individual Carolina chickadees, as well as a number of other chickadee species, can often be statistically discriminated from one another by virtue of the acoustic characteristics of the note types of their calls.
We thus have considerable evidence that the note composition of calls of Carolina chickadees is associated with detection of predators (both perched and flying), food detection, individual flight and motivation. The calls also vary in ways that may suggest markers for individual, flock, population or some combination of the three. Variation in the note types that make up the call corresponds to different contexts and to population-level characteristics. Studies of call variation have also been carried out in other parid species. For example, as a 2012 review article by Krams and coauthors reveals, perched predator contexts have been shown to have a similar effect on call note composition in black-capped chickadees, Mexican chickadees (Poecile sclateri) and willow tits. Call variation seems to be associated with food contexts in black-capped chickadees and with flight contexts in mountain chickadees (P. gambeli). Krama, Krams and Kristine Igaune in 2008 documented variation in the comparable call system in crested tits (Lophophanes cristatus), based on whether individuals were close to the relative safety of vegetation or were exposed in open areas away from cover. Another interesting finding about this species is that dominant individuals use their calls differently than subordinate individuals, which suggests possible personality-like influences on call variation.
Decades ago the Dutch ethologist Niko Tinbergen described four different "why" questions researchers could ask in trying to understand the behavior they observed in animals. Two of the questions entail proximate approaches that focus on the individual. One of these proximate approaches includes mechanistic questions—what is the neural and physiological basis of the behavior, and what stimuli in the environment elicit behavior? The other proximate approach covers developmental questions—what roles do growth and experience play in shaping and constraining behavior over an individual's lifetime? The final two questions are ultimate approaches with a population- or species-level focus. These are ecological or functional questions about the adaptiveness of the behavior—what problem might it have evolved in response to?—and they pose phylogenetic or deep-evolutionary questions—how might common ancestry shape and constrain behavior over the existence of a clade? We can use these approaches to help understand the chick-a-dee call.
At a proximate level of analysis, we know that certain environmental stimuli or motivational influences generate variation in calls. In addition, the complexity of social groups in Carolina chickadees can drive complexity in the note composition of calls. In a 2006 study by Freeberg, chickadees placed into large captive flocks used calls with greater information content compared to chickadees placed into small captive flocks, suggesting that the diversity of messages is greater in more complex social groups. These experimental changes to the social groups of chickadees must have generated neural and physiological changes in the individuals in the study, yet we know relatively little about this aspect of the call. Sturdy's laboratory has carried out a number of exciting studies related to the perception and discrimination of calls in individuals. Female black-capped chickadees reared in isolation fail to develop the ability to perceive relative pitch of males' songs. However, we know relatively little about the ontogeny of call variation in young parids interacting with parents and, later, with nonrelated adults in their social groups. More work on proximate questions related to call variation is needed.
At an ultimate level of analysis, we can infer that the call is homologous across many different parid species, suggesting a fundamentally comparable call system in common ancestors to today's chickadees, tits and titmice. We know a fair amount about call variation in a few species, but the calls of most parid species have been little studied, let alone the question of whether call variation corresponds to different environmental or behavioral contexts. As a result, we cannot yet answer many fairly basic questions about the evolution of call variation. At the functional level, we can infer that the call is adaptive in bringing about social cohesion in parid species, because variation in the call can recruit, alarm or potentially signal movement for members of both conspecific and heterospecific flocks. Whether variation in signaling with the call is related to differences in survival or reproduction is an open question. Nonetheless, a number of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the adaptive significance of call variation in parids.
First, the complexity of the social group might influence vocal complexity. This argument is known as the social complexity hypothesis for communicative complexity, and it is supported by findings from a range of mammals, birds and nonavian reptiles, and from auditory, chemical and visual modalities. For the chick-a-dee call, the social complexity hypothesis predicts that populations in which individuals occur in larger groups or in groups with greater network complexity will have more complex calling behavior than populations in which individuals occur in smaller groups or in groups with little network complexity. If future research supports this hypothesis, we will be able to infer that social pressures that arise from interacting with the same individuals over time, in both competitive and cooperative contexts, require a flexible and diverse repertoire of signals. If the complexity of an individual's social group impacts the diversity of vocal signals used in social interaction, that social group can be seen as both a context for vocal development and a potential selective pressure that could impact vocal behavior.
Selection for increased signaling complexity in parids may also come from other species in mixed-species flocks. For example, Mark Nolen and Lucas found in a 2009 study that both white-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) and tufted titmice interact vocally with Carolina chickadees when mobbing predators. The primary vocal signal used by chickadees under these conditions is the chick-a-dee call. Moreover, Chris Templeton and Erick Greene of the University of Montana in 2007 suggested that nuthatches can decode information about predation risk from calls, and recently Stacia Hetrick and Kathryn Sieving of the University of Florida found that chickadees can decode information about predation risk from the chick-a-dee calls of tufted titmice. These findings show that a complex call provides relatively fine-scale information about predation risk to conspecifics and heterospecifics. Both types of association have fitness consequences. The complexity of conspecific and mixed-species flocks may therefore drive the diversity and complexity of vocal signaling systems.
Another hypothesis proposed to explain call complexity is the predation pressure hypothesis, which has support from a number of studies in primate species. It predicts that populations facing intense predation pressure or a variety of predator types should have more complex calling behavior than populations facing relatively light predator pressure. This hypothesis, then, would predict that parid populations or species that face a large number of different predators have a more complex call than parid populations or species that occur in areas with few predators. One more hypothesis to consider for call complexity relates to the physical environment in which individuals live. Parid populations or species living in complex physical environments, such as those containing a mix of open, closed and edge habitat, may require more complex calls to communicate effectively, compared to populations or species living in relatively simple physical habitats, such as exclusively coniferous forests. These three hypotheses (and there are others) may each explain the complexity and variation in chick-a-dee calls that we see. Perhaps our biggest need in answering this question is for large comparative data sets from multiple populations or multiple species, with which to test the various hypotheses.
We have discussed sociality in parids in light of the benefits of grouping, but we would be remiss if we did not point out that grouping also brings costs. Foraging in a group reduces energetic costs—individuals have more time to find and process food because they can spend less time detecting predators. But flocking also results in increased competition for resources and may generate higher stress levels. It may also increase transmission of and reduce resistance to parasites and pathogens. More work on the costs of grouping in parids should shed considerable light on the pressures individuals and their signaling systems face in complex social groups.
The Paridae family seems ideal for testing hypotheses for communicative complexity. As Jan Ekman of Uppsala Universitet pointed out in a 1989 study, it has considerable variation across species in key social dimensions such as group size, presence and number of heterospecifics in mixed-species flocks, and presence or absence of winter territories. For example, flocks in great tits (Parus major) are reported to range from 2 to roughly 50 individuals (see Figure 9). It is hard to determine flock size in this species, however, because great tits do not have a stable flock structure over time (individuals often move in and out of groups) or space (their flocks, unlike those of many other parids, are not territorial). Recent advances in assessing social networks in animal groups should prove important to determining social complexity in this species. We believe great tits could be a key species for testing functional hypotheses regarding call complexity.
Does the variation in social complexity we have been describing here explain variation in the structure and use of chick-a-dee calls? This straightforward question, like the questions raised by other hypotheses, remains unanswered simply because social and vocal behavioral data are needed for a greater number of parids than have been studied to date. For example, we know very little about the vocal behavior and social structure of African parids in the species-rich Melaniparus group, or of South and East Asian parids.
One example has been documented thus far of commonly occurring reversals of note ordering rules (where, for example, calls have both a note type 1–note type 2 order, and a note type 2–note type 1 order): In 1994, Jack Hailman of the University of Wisconsin documented this variation in the call of the black-lored tit, Parus xanthogenys, of India. The finding is an exciting and potentially important one: Vocal flexibility of this kind would greatly increase call complexity, and it has the potential to increase the variety of meaning receivers could obtain from calls. Such ability might also bring the call closer to the notion of syntax in human language—in which, for instance, "the child spoke to the toy" has a very different meaning than "the toy spoke to the child." However, we can say very little about the potential pressures influencing the call system of the black-lored tit because so little is known about its social behavior or about closely related species in this geographical area.
We hope that this article will inspire increased efforts at understanding the social and vocal behavior of parids—such understanding is needed to determine the evolution of signaling complexity in these species. Furthermore, greater knowledge of the pressures shaping the chick-a-dee call system just might tell us a little more about the pressures that shape and constrain our own complex vocal system.
We thank Harriet Bowden, Sheri Browing, Gordon Burghardt, Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, Megan Gall, Jessica Owens, Kelly Ronald and Luke Tyrell for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article. Todd Freeberg thanks the J. William Fulbright Scholarship Board for a teaching award in Latvia in the spring of 2012, which helped make the writing and preparation of this article possible.
Click "American Scientist" to access home page


text:
Try ActiveCampaign for free
Instant set-up. No credit card required.
Instant set-up. No credit card required.
Login to manage your Deputy integration.Get your API Key
"I can pull up a customer here and I can see how much money they've spent, what they've ordered previously. That is way more information than I ever thought possible, to be connected like that, and it is nothing but helpful."
— Jennifer Tilney, Platinum Skin CareRead more of Jennifer's story
Building a stackable solution can be both time and cost effective. These tools will help optimize your first stack.
Understanding lists is easy, but knowing how to properly use them can be a challenge. In this guide, we offer our definition of lists, as well as some suggestions.
While the ActiveCampaign Deals CRM is one of our most powerful and easy-to-use features, we know that for some of our users, it makes sense to use Salesforce. Learn about our integration capabilities.
Instant set-up. No credit card required.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Southeastern Research Group, Inc. Launches New Website
The new site provides a comprehensive description of Southeastern Research Group allowing it's customers and the general public to better understand the Company and its services, mission and goals. As the new site demonstrates, Southeastern Research is an independent company that provides opportunities for physicians and patients to participate in studies to further the development of new medicines and treatments.
According to Christine Grady, Bioethicist of the National Institute of Health, " If we believe research is necessary for finding ways to improve health and health care, we have an obligation to support it in some way. I don't think that necessarily translates into an obligation to participate, but people should consider it."
Ronald Norton, Director of Research for Southeastern Research said, " Only about one in eight physicians currently participate in clinical research. Of the eighty-seven percent of physicians not involved, about 40% attribute lack of opportunity as the main reason and 30% feel that the time commitment is too much. We are dedicated to removing these barriers by providing appropriate study opportunities and a solid regulatory and administrative infrastructure already in place. This removes much of the burden for the physician wanting to get involved in clinical research."
Regarding patient-volunteers he said, "As for patients, surprisingly only very few patients are even aware that they are eligible to participate. In a recent Harris poll, 94% of people say that they recognize the importance of clinical research and would participate in order to assist in the advancement of medical science. Yet 75% of the general public states that they have little to no knowledge about the clinical research enterprise and the participation process."
About Southeastern Research Group, Inc. Southeastern Research Group, Inc., is a privately held contract research organization that provides clinical trial management services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. As a team of experienced clinical research professionals, physician-researchers, and patient-volunteers we combine a solid regulatory infrastructure with a passion for medical research. Two basic principles, helping our patients to enjoy good health and providing exceptional personal service to our sponsors are the foundation of our business philosophy.
Internet Website: www.serginc.com
SOURCE: Southeastern Research Group, Inc.
For Southeastern Research Group, Inc. Ronald Norton, 1-850-201-0408


text:
"One who gets drunk may not get drunk past a sixth."
I have seen four shittos to explain this ruling which is brought l'halacha in O"C Siman 683.
Panim Chalashos (OC 883:2) says that one who reaches ad d'lo yada and wishes to continue drinking must make each drink 1/6 the size of the previous one until he asymptotically approaches either zero or the inability to say asymptotically whichever comes first.
Ta"m (Turei mashke) ad loc points out that Ta'us sofrim records שתות as a copyist error and that the correct girsa is שטות i.e. one should not drink past the point when he begins to act like an idiot. If he does, then chazrah hamekach and the owner of the liquor store is permitted to take back his wine.
Magen Avraham challenges the Ta"M and asks how he can pasken based on this obscure rishon and completely dismiss the longstanding minhag yisroel to drink far past that point. The original girsa stands but shtus does not mean 1/6 of the previous drink but 1/6 more so that if you start with a 6 ounce glass, your second drink should be 7 ounces and so on.
משנה בירה paskens like Magen Avraham but adds that a baal nefesh should add a sixth mil'bar.
How are we machriah l'mayseh?


text:
Hi Everybody,
I'm seeing some strange behaviour with UltraVNC Viewer on my Windows7 64bit machines. I'm also using the SecureVNCPlugin64.dsm v18.104.22.168 as well. I'm using v188.8.131.52.2 across several different machines, WinXP, W2K and Win7... only Win7 64bit seems to have this trouble. (I don't have any 32bit Win7 machines).
When I start UltraVNC Viewer, I get the normal dialogue box up with the "destination" server IP field, options, etc. When I hit the connect button, this window goes away... and then nothing happens! If I check the task manager, I see the lost" vncviewer.exe process. I can kill this without problem.
Every now and then, quite randomly, UltraVNC Viewer does seem to connect properly and I get the password dialogue box up and I can then enter the appropriate password and proceed as normal. I sometimes have to start UltraVNC Viewer half a dozen times or more to get it to work. Each failed attempt to start UltraVNC viewer leaves a vncviewer.exe process running.
I have uninstalled and re-installed v220.127.116.11.2 without resolving the issue. On another Win7 64bit machine I took a step back and installed v126.96.36.199 and still see this same behaviour.
The only thing I can think of that has recently changed is that I have started using Microsoft Security Essentials on these machines... I know that MSE has "issues" with VNC... could this be the cause? Has anyone else here had issues with MSE and UltraVNC Viewer?
I can connect to the UltraVNC servers running on these machines with no problem from WinXP machines... this only seems to affect UltraVNC Viewer.
Any ideas?
Lunokhod (Michael)


text:
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes' hopes for a new, permanent home will take one step closer to fruition when club begins tearing down the decrepit industrial building that currently occupies the site where a soccer-specific stadium is planned.
Demolition of the one-time factory for the chemical concern FMC Corporation at 1125 Coleman Ave. -- just south of the Mineta San Jose International Airport -- is slated to start with a ceremony on March 3.
PHOTO GALLERY: New Stadium Design
The process is expected to take roughly 12 weeks, Quakes president Dave Kaval said in an interview with MLSsoccer.com.
[inline_node:7720]Signs went up at the former plant this week declaring the area -- which is located right next door to the Quakes' Nutrilite Training Facility -- a "Hard Hat Job" and denoting is as an active construction site.
"We're excited about it," said Kaval, who was brought on board with the club last year in part to give the stagnant stadium process a push. "We're not all the way there yet, but the thing is, we're starting to build that momentum back."
The team still holds out hope that it can get a stadium built in time for at least part of the 2012 season, although reaching that accelerated timetable will probably require the addition of a naming-rights sponsor, something that the Quakes have not yet been able to locate.
The Quakes ownership group, led by real-estate developer Lew Wolff, has moved more slowly than some fans would like because demand for the commercial, residential and mixed-use areas planned for the stadium's surrounding areas have been slack. With a glut of open buildings in the San Jose area, however, the team was reluctant to move forward until the city decided in December to decouple the stadium from the remainder of the project -- allowing the team to work on the stadium while putting off the other projects until the commercial real-estate market rebounds.
"I think this is an important piece of the puzzle, and we're excited to celebrate it and keep the process moving," Kaval said.
Geoff Lepper covers the Earthquakes for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. On Twitter: @sjquakes


text:
This bread uses a combination of fresh milled flour from my Nutrimill and store-bought flours. The hard red wheat and hard white wheat were fresh milled.
I used some pecan meal I had bought during my trip to King Arthur Flour a few months ago in the starter which adds a nice nutty flavor to the final dough. I also used some canned corn that I roasted under my broiler since corn on the cob is not in season in New York right now.
I thought some chipotle cheddar cheese would compliment the corn and the combination of flours and to be honest I love cheese so it couldn't possibly hurt it.
Since I used some low gluten ingredients I decided to use some high gluten flour from KAF known as Sir Lancelot to compensate.
I have to say I was not sure how this one would come out, but it honestly couldn't taste any better. The spicy cheese along with the whole wheat flours and pecan meal make this one good enough to eat by itself without any butter, oil or anything. I wouldn't change anything on this. The only downside is I need to lose some weight and it's going to be hard not to eat the whole loaf by myself!
Levain Directions
Mix all the Levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for around 7-8 hours or until the starter has doubled. I usually do this the night before.
Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.
Main Dough Procedure
Mix the flours, and water together in your mixer or by hand until it just starts to come together, maybe about 1 minute. Let it rest in your work bowl covered for 20-30 minutes. Next add the salt, starter (cut into about 7-8 pieces), and honey and mix on low for 5 minutes. Next add the corn and cheese and mix on low for 1 minute to make sure they are incorporated and then remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds. Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold. Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold. After a total of 2 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours.
When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove the dough and shape as desired. I made 1 large miche. Place your dough into your proofing basket(s) and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. The dough will take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your room temperature. Let the dough dictate when it is read to bake not the clock.
Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 550 degrees F. and prepare it for steam. I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.
Right before you are ready to put them in the oven, score as desired and then add 1 cup of boiling water to your steam pan or follow your own steam procedure.
Lower the temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 35-50 minutes until the crust is nice and brown and the internal temperature of the bread is 210 degrees.
Take the bread out of the oven when done and let it cool on a bakers rack before for at least 2 hours before eating.
This post has been submitted to the Yeast Spotting Site here: http://www.wildyeastblog.com/category/yeastspotting/.


text:
I have an infopath form, and I want to create a sort of table of contents so that when users return to finish filling out their forms (after having left off), they can jump to the section.
I see that I can create a hyperlink, but I don't see any way to insert a hyperlink anchor.
Is there a way to do this? How?


text:
Smithtown seniors gather for a walk down memory lane
Mary Ellen Jones recalled struggling to be noticed at age 6 at the checkout counter at Blue Jay Market -- Smithtown's first supermarket.
"When I was little, my uncle worked at the market," said Jones, 74. "I was so little and the counter was so high that the workers wouldn't wait on me because they couldn't see me."
To take a walk down memory lane, Jones sat in on a lecture Monday night by Smithtown Town Historian Brad Harris at the historic Frank Brush Barn.
Jones sat among nearly 50 seniors -- most of whom she or her older sisters grew up with -- listening quietly at first, but later interjecting her own intricate memories of growing up in Smithtown.
Harris focused the lecture on how different Smithtown was in the 1930s, a turning point for the town with a quaint Main Street that was then a mix of Victorian homes and small shops.
Eighty years ago, the town was separated into two distinct communities: Smithtown, a community in the area that now encompasses Head of the Harbor; and Smithtown Branch, which included what is now the downtown area of Smithtown hamlet.
In 1927, Smithtown Branch's Main Street became the commercial heart of the town, with a wide, four-lane highway with curbs and sidewalks. Five years later, two traffic lights were installed to control the increased vehicle traffic.
During the lecture, Harris mentioned the old gas station, Smithtown Hotel, the local bakery and other stores that thrived off the small business it received from locals.
"Freelan Jones' gas station had nine gas pumps where gas could be purchase from different companies at different prices," Harris said. "What his customers didn't know was that he only had one large gas tank in the ground that he drew gas from."
The audience chuckled in unison, nodding their heads in remembrance.
They also discussed Smithtown Bakery, a place children passed by on their way to and from school on New York Avenue, often stopping in, succumbing to the tantalizing smells.
Many of the seniors smiled and let out a "uh-huh" in agreement.
Harris also mentioned Smithtown Branch's first diner, which opened in 1933.
"A man named Angelides dragged an old railway dining car onto an empty lot near
Town Hall," Harris said. "He reconditioned the car and opened it for business as Angelides' Diner."
Also, the arrival of a brand-new movie theater came in 1933, just across from the Bank of Smithtown, which is now the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts.
Jones said she misses walking down the street among Victorian homes and local grocery, candy and bakery shops where everyone knew her name, but would welcome improvements today.
"People were so friendly in those days," she said. "After seeing small businesses thrive in my day, I just hate seeing the decay of these buildings with empty storefronts. I don't want Smithtown to go back to being quaint. I love it here and I really want to see the area thrive."


text:
Woven Dress Guards for Drilled Fenders
Bobbin & Sprocket. They can be crocheted in different patterns, according to your specifications (you can see them here on Bobbin & Sprocket's own bike and here on an ANT bike). I ordered a set for my mixte a couple of months ago, but have yet to attach them - because I've decided to do a drilled-fender installation, rather than use the clips provided. The clips don't attach securely enough for my fenders - and I am weary of having the guards fall off and get tangled in my wheel spokes. Earlier, I reviewed the Dutch Simeli dress guards, and clip and fender compatibility was also a problem (they only work on bikes where there is a lot of room between the fender and the tire).
simple set of dress guards that a reader had sent me from Portugal. The fancy ones in the picture above were a gift from a friend in Autsria, and are waiting for the right bicycle.
ANT, who has recently begun to order them from Europe. They are simple, stretchy and durable, and I thought the colour scheme suited my Gazelle nicely. Drilling fenders for dress guards may seem like a daunting task, but the actual act of installing them is not difficult, if you have a good drill. What's difficult is making the commitment: You can't "undo" the holes in your fender once they are there, and nearly every set of dress guards requires a different number of holes.
this post. Looking at the final result, one could say that these guards could look better if they were fanned out over a wider area - but I wanted the coverage to be denser. It's really a personal choice, and I am pretty happy with how mine have turned out. If you own a drill, this method of dress guard installation is worth considering.


text:
I have a rough time considering myself press or an analyst. On the Press side I have been trained to always consider a press release as a strategy and not news. On the analyst side, my perfectionism comes in and I would want more opinions before I share mine.
I find that particularly true when people become very linear, like the way that our friends in the news have picked up on people abandoning Android for development.
The reality is that Google sees Chrome and Android as strategies that have value. Chrome is the HMTL5 browser that is going full speed ahead as an OS. Chromebooks are very cool and having recently viewed the ultrabooks in the market, I am more convinced then ever that chromebooks will hit a sweet spot in the market in the next year.
Android however is not about the connection to the browser its about the relationship with the hardware vendor community. Android has done the near impossible and deserves a lot of credit.
In a world full of iPhone Fans its been able to outsell in a way that brought warring manufacturers together and almost cohesive.
Google has also put a hurt on Microsoft since the Nokia Lumina is sitting out there with much MS competition. While Android comes in various flavors and vendors. Microsoft is in need of more friends.
The fragmentation everyone complains about, is real, but has a lot to do with learning curves in the community. My expectation is that as we move beyond Ice Cream we will see considerable backward system support.
In truth, it may happen as a result of Google finding the blend between the WebOS and the MobileOS ahead of everyone else.
This is my analysis of the recent press, I would love to hear your views.


text:
While we strive to list as many events as possible, we reserve the right to exclude listings and edit event descriptions for clarity.
Events must take place within one hour of Pittsburgh.
Trouble finding your Location? Tried all spelling variations?
If you are 100% sure your desired location is not already in this
website, you can create a new location by filling in the form below.
Before starting, please
search existing Locations first
St. Joseph O'Hara
342 Dorseyville Rd, O'Hara
Please sign in or create an account to continue.
Audio & Video Archive
More Lynn Cullen Live
Antwon Rose's Wikipedia page edited to imply he was a "criminal" after two Steelers players broke away from Rose's tribute
By Ryan Deto
OP-ED: Villanueva's stunt shows he does not believe Antwon Rose should be honored
By Casey Taylor
Officer under investigation for misconduct is one of Pittsburgh's highest paid employees


text:
It's not a particularly long drive from Atlanta to Charlottesville, a little more than 600 miles, but I decided to make this trip a leisurely one. So instead of charging up I-85 for a one day drive, I broke the trip in half and stopped for a night in Charlotte. I've never spent much time in this city as it's mostly been a benchmark on the drive to DC, but I was hoping to rectify that. After checking into my hotel, I did a little research and soon found myself in NoDa, Charlotte's historic arts district, on the front porch of Revolution Pizza.
Before delving into the pizza selection of the menu, I tried Chef Meredith's Fried Wings. With Revolution Pizza's beer selection, chicken wings were a natural choice and the lure of a family secret dredge recipe and a double fried cooking method was too much to pass up.
Hoping to find the true family recipe preparation, when ordering I asked the waitress which sauce was the original. She told me that naked was the original.
While I enjoyed the extra crispy skin, juicy meat, and subtle pepper taste of the batter, I really wish I had gotten these wings buffalo or teriyaki style. If it's any consolation, the dill ranch was a fine companion to the wings.
While realizing just how bad I was at North Carolina centered trivia questions, my pizza arrived.
Named for the neighborhood, the NoDa is a Revolution Pizza signature pie topped with Grateful Growers pulled pork, peppadew peppers, caramelized onions and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
I was hoping for a little more brick oven char on my crust but this was still a fine pizza. The caramelized onions and balsamic reduction offered a helping of sweetness with just a little tart twang to go with the unctuous pulled pork. Speaking of which, I wish there was a little more on the pizza but the ingredients were nicely balanced and made for a tasty pie.
Good local beers, crispy chicken wings, above average pizzas, and a trivia night in a cool neighborhood, these are all the ingredients for a great, low-key night in Charlotte. I do wish I had been in town for one of Revolution Pizza's beer dinner if only to see what Chef Meredith can do with free reign, but for a casual night in Charlotte, Revolution Pizza is not too shabby.
Revolution Pizza Address & Information
3228 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205 // 704.333.4440 // Revolution Pizza Website // Revolution Pizza Menu


text:
By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) — European stocks rose Wednesday, as investors reacted to improvement in German business confidence, but came off session highs as a setback in U.S. budget talks pressured Wall Street.
Investors also took comfort from an upgrade late Tuesday in Greece's credit rating.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index (STOXX:XX:SXXP) rose 0.4% to close at 281.63, a high for 2012.
Upgrade and Greece's privatization
A debt upgrade by S&P could help boost confidence in Greece's privatization program as its exit from the euro appears less likely. But political risks remain. (Photo: Getty Images.)
"Everybody is looking at the market and sees that it is pretty strong. There is some technical buying and this is a good market to show some new stocks in portfolios to clients," said Koen de Leus, strategist at KBC Securities.
"Hope is high that [U.S. policy makers] will find a solution to the fiscal cliff, but hope is not a good strategy," he said.
"The ISM index is pretty weak, but stocks are still rallying," de Leus said. "It must mean that investors think U.S. growth will accelerate in coming months and if this is not the case, we are in for some rough months in the coming year."
Heavyweight banking shares drove gains for the index, with HSBC Holdings PLC (LON:UK:HSBA) (HKG:HK:5) moving up 2% in London, Banco Santander SA (MCE:ES:SAN) (NYS:SAN) rising 0.9% in Madrid and BNP Paribas SA (PAR:FR:BNP) gaining 1.6% in Paris.
Credit Suisse lifted the European banking sector to benchmark from small underweight, saying the lower cost of capital should make it easier to reach required profitability levels. The analysts also highlighted that the sector should benefit from "a likely upturn in the economic cycle."
Also in the sector, shares of UBS AG (NYS:UBS) slipped 0.3%. The bank agreed to pay $1.5 billion in settling accusations of manipulating the London interbank offered rate. See UBS's 'Captain Caos' and 'Three Muscateers': Libor rigging exposed .
Positive signs from Greece, Germany and U.S.
Meanwhile, Greek shares rallied, with the Athens General Index (ATHENS:GR:GD) surging 4.8% to 878.41.
Serving as the catalyst, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services upgraded Greece's credit rating Tuesday from selective default to B minus, citing the completion last week of its distressed debt buyback. See: Anti-Grexit bet nets hedge fund $500 million profit .
Prices on the country's government bonds rallied to their highest level since a debt restructuring in March. See: Greece's bond prices reach post-restructuring high
In another development, the European Central Bank decided to again accept Greek government bonds at its monetary-policy operations. See: ECB reinstates Greek bonds as collateral
On the data front, European investors took note of the Ifo German business-climate index, which rose for a second straight month in December and came in slightly higher than expected at 102.4. See: German December Ifo business climate index rises
Germany's economy, the largest in Europe, "still faces headwinds from low consumer confidence and a deterioration in its export markets, but recently there has been some improvement outside Europe," analysts at Danske Bank said in a note.
"Germany's large exposure to emerging markets should support growth during 2013 as the policy response in China in particular will support the global manufacturing cycle. Also fiscal consolidation will weigh less on German growth in 2013," they said.
Investors also focused on developments in U.S. budget negotiations, hoping that Democrats and Republicans will reach a deal to avert automatic tax hikes and spending cuts slated to come into effect in the new year—the so-called fiscal cliff.
The White House, however, said on Wednesday that Obama would veto a tax and spending plan offered by House Speaker John Boehner. See: Stocks lower after White House rejects GOP plan
U.S. stocks were mostly lower. See: Stocks lower after White House rejects GOP plan
Wednesday movers
Frankfurt's DAX 30 index (XEX:DX:DAX) gained 0.2% to 7,668.50, with shares of Deutsche Bank AG (FRA:DE:DBK) (NYS:DB) closing up 1.4% and Commerzbank AG (FRA:DE:CBK) rising 0.5%.
/zigman2/quotes/210597958/delayed PX1 4,978.18, -61.32, -1.22%
/zigman2/quotes/210598409/delayed UKX 6,007.05, -42.87, -0.71%
Shares of ThyssenKrupp AG (FRA:DE:TKA) picked up 2.4%, after Credit Suisse lifted its rating on the industrial conglomerate to outperform from neutral.
HeidelbergCement AG (FRA:DE:HEI) stood out among German gainers, rallying 4.9%. Deutsche Bank reiterated its buy recommendation, saying any recovery in cyclical stocks in 2013 should benefit cement makers.
In this vein, shares of Lafarge SA gained 3% in Paris, rising as Deutsche Bank upgraded the cement maker to buy from hold.
Also in Paris, shares of oil giant Total SA (PAR:FR:FP) (NYS:TOT) climbed 0.4%, tracking gains for oil prices. See: Barclays bullish on oil-services sector for 2013 and beyond
The CAC 40 index (PAR:FR:PX1) moved 0.4% higher to 3,664.59, with Credit Agricole SA shares (PAR:FR:ACA) trading up 2.3%.
And in London, the FTSE 100 index (FTSE:UK:UKX) rose 0.4% to 5,961.59. See: Banks lift U.K. stocks after upgrade
Shares of SABMiller PLC gained 0.8% and Diageo PLC (LON:UK:DGE) picked up 0.5%, as Credit Suisse raised the beverage sector to overweight from benchmark, citing strong growth prospects and emerging-market exposure.
Bucking the positive trend in Europe, shares of Merck KGaA (FRA:DE:MRK) slumped 2.1% after the company released disappointing results from a late-stage trial of its Stimuvax lung-cancer drug.


text:
Whitetail Butte
The view from Whitetail Butte offers something unique each time you ascend this 3,000-foot mound that rises abruptly from the Jack Pine Flats. The butte is only a few minutes travel from Coolin and the south end of the lake.
In summer, unspoiled views of the mountains surrounding the south end of the lake unfold before you. In fall, you may be greeted by a cloudbank between you and the forest floor, which affords a very different view of the Selkirk mountain peaks nudging their way through the fluffy cloud layer. In winter, the butte makes an exciting snowmobile ride with new vistas around each turn. In spring, a birds-eye view of turbulent runoff waters rushing down Priest River is an awesome sight. Whatever the time of year, Whitetail Butte is a close-in getaway that offers grand vistas and provides an ideal picnic site among the trees at the top of the butte.
To reach Whitetail Butte from Coolin, travel south on East River Road (State Forest Road #1) until it intersects with State Forest Road #12 (5-1/2 miles). Turn right (west) onto Road #12 and proceed 3/4-mile to the intersection with State Forest Road #121. Turn left (south) onto Road #121 and follow it to the top of the butte. Most of the road from the base of the butte to the top is too narrow for two-way traffic and a high clearance vehicle is recommended. Be alert for oncoming vehicles and be prepared to back-up some distance to a bypass point if an oncoming vehicle is encountered.


text:
Dump Truck Differences
Played: 8,176 Times
Share with your friends
Dump Truck Differences: Dump Truck Differences is a spot the difference game. Locate the differences between the two pictures in the limited amount of time given to play each picture To play, use your mouse as control. Make sure that you don't make a mistake more than five times because that will make you fail. Two Minutes is the overall time in which you'll play through the five pictures in this game You can turn off the time limitation if you want to play the easier way. Good luck
New games
Dump Truck Differences is a flash game that you can enjoy playing online for free. Despite that Dump Truck Differences is a spot the difference game, you can find new playable games every day. If you liked this game, you can play similar games to Dump Truck Differences at Gamelola.com. Embed Your Favorite Games: Add your favorite games to your Blog or Facebook page and can play on your own website!
More games


text:
Thousands rally for Pakistani girl shot by Taliban
KARACHI, Pakistan -- Tens of thousands rallied in Pakistan's largest city Sunday in support of a 14-year-old girl who was shot and critically wounded by the Taliban for promoting girls' education and criticizing the militant group.
The demonstration in the southern city of Karachi was by far the largest since Malala Yousufzai and two of her classmates were shot on Oct. 9 while returning home from school in Pakistan's northwest.
The attack horrified people inside and outside Pakistan and sparked hope among some that it would prompt the government to intensify its fight against the Taliban and their allies.
But protests against the shooting have been relatively small until now, usually attracting no more than a few hundred people. That response pales in comparison to the tens of thousands of people who held violent protests in Pakistan last month against a film produced in the United States that denigrated Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
Demonstrations in support of Yousufzai -- and against rampant militant violence in the country in general -- have also been fairly small compared with those focused on issues such as U.S. drone attacks and the NATO supply route to Afghanistan that runs through Pakistan.
Right-wing Islamic parties and organizations in Pakistan that regularly pull thousands of supporters into the streets to protest against the U.S. have less of an incentive to speak out against the Taliban, who share their desire to impose Islamic law in the country -- even if they may disagree with some of the militant group's violent tactics.
Pakistan's mainstream political parties are often also more willing to harangue the U.S. than direct their people power against Islamist militants shedding blood across the country -- partly out of fear and partly because they rely on Islamist parties for electoral support.
One of the exceptions is the political party that organized Sunday's rally in Karachi, the Muttahida Quami Movement. The party's chief, Altaf Hussain, criticized both Islamic and other mainstream political parties for failing to organize rallies to protest the attack against Yousufzai.
He called the Taliban gunmen who shot the girl "beasts" and said the shooting was an attack on "the ideology of Pakistan."
"Malala Yousufzai is a beacon of knowledge. She is the daughter of the nation," Hussain told the audience by telephone from London, where he is in self-imposed exile because of legal cases pending against him in Pakistan. His party is the strongest in Karachi.
Many of the demonstrators carried the young girl's picture and banners praising her bravery and expressing solidarity.
Yousufzai earned the enmity of the Taliban for publicizing their behavior when they took over the northwestern Swat Valley, where she lived, and for speaking about the importance of education for girls.
The group first started to exert its influence in Swat in 2007 and quickly extended its reach to much of the valley by the next year. They set about imposing their will on residents by forcing men to grow beards, preventing women from going to the market and blowing up many schools -- the majority for girls.
Yousufzai wrote about these practices in a journal for the BBC under a pseudonym when she was just 11. After the Taliban were pushed out of the valley in 2009 by the Pakistani military, she became even more outspoken in advocating for girls' education. She appeared frequently in the media and was given one of the country's highest honors for civilians for her bravery.
The Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the shooting because Yousufzai was promoting "Western thinking." Police have arrested at least three suspects in connection with the attack, but the two gunmen who carried out the shooting remain at large.
The young girl was shot in the neck, and the bullet headed toward her spine. Doctors at a military hospital operated on her to remove the bullet from her neck, and she was put on a ventilator. Her condition improved somewhat on Saturday when she was able to move her legs and hands after her sedatives were reduced.
On Sunday, she was successfully taken off the ventilator for a short period and later reconnected to avoid fatigue, the military said. Doctors are satisfied she is making slow and steady progress and will decide whether to send her abroad for treatment.
The United Arab Emirates plans to send a specialized aircraft to serve as an ambulance for the girl in case doctors decide to send her abroad, the Pakistani ambassador to the country, Jamil Ahmed Khan, said Sunday.
Visas are being finalized for the air ambulance crew and six doctors who will accompany the flight, Khan told Pakistan's Geo TV. Arrangements have been made to treat the girl at three hospitals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, he said.
The UAE Embassy in Islamabad could not immediately be reached for comment.
No decision has yet been taken to send the girl abroad, but the air ambulance is part of the contingency plan, the Pakistani military said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has written letters to top political and religious leaders in Pakistan denouncing the attack on Yousufzai and asking them to help battle extremism in both countries, the president's office said in a statement issued late Saturday. Karzai wrote that he views the shooting as an attack on Afghanistan's girls as well.


text:
I spent two days painting with my friend Autumn Skye, near Powell River. I have not painted anything since I was in art school back in the seventies, but it is something I have always planned on doing when I get 'older'. Skye is an incredible artist, and I was humbled to work next to her, but she is a generous and enthusiastic mentor. She was happy to answer all my questions patiently and turn me on to her painting 'tricks' of the trade. It was an amazing creative session, we worked outdoors under a large opened tent. Many, many thanks to Skye! Check out her phenomenal and inspiring artwork at:
Since posting this painting on Facebook, I got an overwhelming number of positive comments, and I am extremely enthused and excited to launch into a painting career....on top of my tattooing work! Egads, will I have time for fishing?
The painting is as yet unfinished, and untitled. I will post it when it's finished and properly photographed. It was really just a practice run, I was playing and learning, and I didn't expect to come up with something that I actually liked. In fact, there is much about it that I do NOT like, but it still fills me with excitement, just to see all that glorious colour and texture come to life under my wiggling brush. Super fun, cool, beautiful medium. Hooked on acrylics! (Now I just need to buy my own paints!, Thanks Skye!)


text:
- Home
- Blogs
- Community
- Big Game Hunting
- Regional
- Firearms
- Archery
- Muzzleloader
- Gear Bag
Louisiana DWF Alligator Lottery Hunt
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is now accepting alligator lottery hunt applications for five Wildlife Management Area (WMA) lakes and six public lakes in the central portion of the state.
Region 3 alligator lottery hunts include the selection of one hunter for Indian Creek in Rapides Parish and two hunters for Iatt Lake in Grant Parish.
Region 4 alligator lottery hunts include three hunters for Lake Concordia in Concordia Parish and two hunters for Lake Bruin, four hunters for Lake St. John and four hunters for Lake St. Joseph all in Tensas Parish. WMA Region 4 alligator lottery hunts include two hunters for Big Lake WMA, four hunters for Boeuf WMA, one hunter for Buckhorn WMA, seven hunters for Red River WMA and nine hunters for Three Rivers WMA.
Each applicant can submit one application per region, but will only be chosen for one public or WMA lake hunt. All applications must be received by July 31 for a computerized random drawing on Aug. 17. Each application must be accompanied by a non-refundable $5 check or money order made payable to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. All winners will be notified by mail.
Applications can be obtained from the Region 4 office in Ferriday, Region 3 office in Pineville or by downloading them from LDWF's Web site at www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/regulations/wma/lotteryhunts.
Applicants must be a legal Louisiana resident and 16 years of age or older. Any applicant born on or after Sept. 1, 1969 must also provide a valid hunter safety certification number.
In Region 4, successful applicants must attend an instructional class in Ferriday on either Aug. 28 or 30. Region 4 WMA lake hunters must also agree to give LDWF 40 percent of all revenue gained from the commercial sale of alligator hides or meat or 40 percent of the fair market value of any alligator hide or meat kept for personal use or consumption. The Region 4 office is located at 261 Wildlife and Fishery Rd. in Ferriday and can be reached at 318-757-3072.
LDWF will provide an instructional class on an individual basis for Region 3 lottery hunt winners when they pick up their license and tags from the Region 3 office. The Region 3 office is located at 1995 Shreveport Hwy. in Pineville and can be reached at 318-487-5885.


text:
15% off Orders $299+.
Enter this code during checkout to save at Ben Meadows.
Code copied! Now enter this code at Ben Meadows to save!
BENMDW15 Shop
Browse all deals at Ben Meadows
See more in Coupons & Rebates, Outdoor Living
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Ben Meadows to confirm actual price & availability.
Please enter your name
- Be the first to comment!


text:
Yes it is another new year, another January and anther excuse for publishers to not only predict the future but tell you how to change your life and be happy! The future of self-knowledge is here again!
• www.jessicacharlesworth.com
• contact [at] jessicacharlesworth.com
• www.wollersbergercharlesworth.com
• www.alterfutures.org
• @jessginger
"The Future of Self-Knowledge" research blog encompasses the techniques and methodologies used in corporate horizon scanning & forecasting, and their counterparts in ancient divination practices and the rise in personal genome services.
This research is used as a platform to develop personalised futures techniques for The FATE Institute (The Futures Association for Therapy & Entertainment), a think tank dedicated to developing personalised foresight services and products.
Posts on this site will capture thoughts, experiments and current areas of interest in relation to speculative and personal futures.
My other websites: www.jessicacharlesworth.com
Recent Posts
The FATE Institute
themesactivism architecture artists autosuggestion belief systems books cults datamining decision_making definitions delicious design design interactions design_futures divination dna doppelganger eccentric esoteric exhibitions experiments experts extracts fact/fiction/fact FATE INSTITUTE forecasting future futures future_forecasting futurists futurology genetics identity memory mentalism methods microtrend miscellaneous obesity open_source personal genome PGD pgt photography plain weird precognition predictions predictive gene testing prescience products pseudoscience quasi rca scenarios science fiction scientists self-help self-knowledge sequencing service design services societies statistics storytelling tackling obesities talks therapy thinkers thoughts tools Uncategorized values video visualization writers
About Jessica
those who interpret and speak of the future
- Alexis Madrigal
- Ballardian
- Benjamin Bratton
- Dan Lockton (Architectures of Control)
- Future Now Blog
- IFTF health blog
- Jamais Cascio (Open The Future)
- James Woudhuysen (Spiked & others)
- Kevin Kelly
- Lebbeus Woods
- Matt Jones
- Richard Watson (Now & Next)
- Skeptic magazine
- The Sceptical Futurist (Stuart Candy)
- Amazing Futures
- Antoine Schmitt
- Atelier van lieshout
- Ben Goldacre
- benrik
- Bureau of inverse technology
- Creative Growth Art Center
- Demetrie Tyler
- Feltron
- Feltron's Daytum
- Graph Jam
- Indexed
- Johnathan Harris
- Le Grand Content
- Matt Jones
- Maywa denki
- Neil Spiller
- Postsecret
- Richard Wiseman
- TED talks
- The Cloud Appreciation Society
- with
other online portals


text:
- Valor
- $1699
- Descuento
- 88%
- Ahorra
- $1500
0 comprado
Aspectos destacados
Smooth and softer hairless skin 5 treatments should be enough for wanted effect Skilled technicians Female staff
Expires on September 19, 2014 Non-transferable Valid for upper lip, chin, brow, ears, neck, underarms, bikini line,inner thigh, and belly button line. Not valid with other offers
Laser is not only the weapon of mass destruction in the Hollywood movies, burning down the thousands of enemies on its way to destination. Equally effectively it can be employed to eliminate unwanted hair on certain areas of your body. Moreover, the laser weapon will completely destroy the follicles with no chance for retaliation. The today's deal grants you with 5 laser hair removal treatments on three areas of the body for only $199 ($1699 value) from Soft & Smooth salon. The highly professional staff of Smooth & Soft is exclusively feminine, which fosters the relaxation. Laser hair treatment is one of the most painless ways to get rid of the extra hair invented so far. Though it is not totally imperceptible, you may even enjoy the process taking into account that the personnel of Soft & Smooth will do their best to get the best out of this necessary procedure. h4. Reviews Ten yelpers give their five stars to Soft & Smooth after having attended a sequence of hair removal procedures: "My best recommendation to Soft & Smooth, 6 visits were enough to forget about imperfect bikini line or any troubles with shaving. For now, I do not need to get any preliminary preparation for beach or pool, I'm always in good form" Janice, Yelp "Wow! The hair wouldn't appear in some areas after the fourth treatment already. And this is after years of shaving and waxing, simply can not believe that. I wish knew about the magic laser before" Foxygirl, Yelp h4. Laser raygun Laser blasters and rayguns have been featured in sci-fi already in 19th century. Herbert Wells' War of the Worlds probably was the earliest mention of the laser weapons. Here;s the list of movies guess which of them featured laser rayguns and which not: Avatar Transformers The Terminator Alien Jurassic Park Iron Man Star Wars WALL-У V for Vendetta 2001: A Space Odyssey Back to the Future


text:
Obama – creep to Islamofascism, apologizes again
Obama: Rampage 'tragic and shocking'
The president vows anyone involved in the killing of 16 Afghan civilians will be held responsible.
I know that the Islamist-fascists mentality is to demand from the West to bow all the way, apologize almost till embarrassing tears, and even creeping lie to kiss their boots. Too bad, Obama and the like do go the destructive appeasement path, we have seen dozens massacred at the wake of his repeated apologies for an accidental burning of some book that Muslims consider as "holy."
All the while Afghans were on a rampage, (not merely offending us, but real raw crude Islamic holy crimes of murder) not one sincere loud apology came from the Islamic side.
What Obama is never taking into account is OUR feelings. What about Americans and other non-Muslims' feelings, where is their honor while he trashes everything on the way to his Islam-reveration? No we hear that a US soldier kills some Afghans, What does Obama do? You guessed it right, apologize again, what else does this week guy with total self-American respect ever know to do.


text:
Target Corp. replaced Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel on Monday, removing a 35-year "lifer" who won plaudits for his merchandising ability but whose tenure was marred by a massive data breach over the holidays.
The embarrassing computer attack and weak sales at a critical time shined a harsher light on other stumbles under Steinhafel's six years as CEO, including a money losing expansion into Canada and a persistent weakness in traffic as shoppers moved online.
Steinhafel's resignation leaves a void at the top of one of the largest U.S. retailers at a time of deep change in shopping habits, a weak economic recovery, especially among low-income shoppers, and questions over whether internal failures at Target made it an easy target for the data thieves.
Steinhafel, 59 years old, will step down immediately and be replaced on an interim basis by Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan while Target
Target spokeswoman Dustee Jenkins said Steinhafel's decision to step down was just made recently after extensive discussions.
Target's board has been meeting monthly since the data breach, where 40 million credit and debit cards and personal information of 70 million people was stolen, was disclosed in mid-December.
An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.
Also see:
Warren Buffett is a mutual fund, observes Chuck Jaffe
Style-conscious men are showing that colorful socks are no mere fad


text:
Fetching cart...
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Availability: In stock
Killer Ink are delighted to bring you Stefan Fischer's Bavarian Custom Irons. Stefan has been building machines since 2006. All machines are hand-made in Bavaria, Germany with no compromises to the quality of the machines, as such a lifetime guarantee is offered on all machines.
This is the Morphosica machine set as a Black and Grey Shader.
Technical Data
NB: Each machine may have slight aesthetic variations to the one pictured above. Bavarian Custom Irons build machines by hand!
All orders completed before 15:00 on a working day will be dispatched the same day via the delivery service requested.Delivery costs vary according to the size and weight of your order, starting from just €6.95. We offer free delivery on orders over €50.00 plus VAT!
Please click here to view our warranty details.
Customers who bought this product also commonly purchased the following combination of items.
Total Price
Total Price
Excl. Tax:
Incl. Tax:
Site Map Contact Us About Us Bank Information Privacy Policy Terms Acceptable Use How to Match Needles with Tips Warranty Blog Delivery Download Catalogue
FREE Delivery on All Orders Over €50